Dining Spotlight: True Food Kitchen

Filling and tasty dishes at True Food Kitchen will make believers out of health food skeptics

By Kimya Kavehkar

Published: May 2, 2016

Photo by Cory Rivademar

True Food Kitchen opened in Austin at the perfect time—the week after SXSW when locals were ready for a detox following a steady diet of beer and tacos. Sipping a Kale Aid refresher, made with kale, ginger, apple, lemon, cucumber and celery, on the outdoor patio after 10 days of revelry has the effect of near-instantaneous recovery. From carnivorous pizza addicts to vegan yogis, everyone can enjoy a taste of wellness at this chain restaurant, which opened its 12th nationwide location at the Seaholm development. Created by Arizona-based integrative medicine pioneer Dr. Andrew Weil, the menu follows his anti-inflammatory pyramid, which says you should eat mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats and just a little red wine, chocolate and meat. Sure, this information isn’t mind-blowing, but the sheer availability of numerous healthy, filling options is something to get excited about. From the hummus, which is topped with feta, cucumber, tomato and Kalamata olives and served with slices of pita bread, to the ancient grain bowls loaded with roasted veggies and sauces, everything we tried was delicious and filling. If health food staples like tofu and brown rice aren’t your bag, there are classic comfort food standbys like pizza (try the chicken sausage pie with roasted fennel), burgers and pasta, as well as cocktails and dessert. After all, the key to well-being is all about balance.